Abstract
Annually, schools nationwide welcome new educators to their facilities that bring with them a vast array of experiences. Onboarding tools such as mentoring or induction programs are often a customary practice, utilized to provide new educators with skills to assist them in the classroom as well as acclimate them to their new organization. Mentoring is often synonymous with induction programs and associated with the pairing of an experienced educator with a novice to the field or location that can offer support from instructional and classroom strategies to campus policies. With recent shifts in education and an ever-present national teacher crisis exposing potential flaws in common instructional practices, educators, both novices and veterans are exiting the profession in droves. To examine this concern through a localized program, the researcher utilized a site employing a mentoring program and having recently experienced a staff turnover of more than 20% for two consecutive school years. Grounded in the principles of improvement science, the research study sought to examine the mentoring program in place at the study site. Additionally, the study sought to expose positive impacts as well as areas of improvement to guide iterations of future mentoring practices. To further lead and inform mentoring practices, the researcher utilized anonymous survey tools throughout the duration of the four iterations of data collection. Data collection and analysis indicate that mentoring practices can positively impact education by providing educator support through instructional strategies and classroom management techniques. Additionally, conclusive findings indicate that mentoring practices can assist in mitigating daily stresses faced by educators. Further, perspectives obtained from participants of the study on effective mentoring practices help provide insight for school leaders seeking to recruit, hire and retain educational staff. Outcomes from the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle and problem of practice study assisted in informing of possible needed adjustments to the mentoring program that could be generalized to organizations outside that of the study site. Further outcomes informed the development of a campus handbook for new educators to the profession and organization, as well mentoring geared professional development, the organization of professional learning communities, and the promotion of collaborative planning through restructuring of the master schedule.
Date of publication
12-2023
Document Type
Dissertation
Language
english
Persistent identifier
http://hdl.handle.net/10950/4466
Committee members
Forrest Kaiser, Wesley Hickey, Jennifer Bailey Watters
Degree
Doctor of Education in School Improvement
Recommended Citation
Lloyd, Paige, "The Impact of Mentoring Practices on New Faculty and Staff" (2023). Education Theses and Dissertations. Paper 15.
http://hdl.handle.net/10950/4466
Included in
Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching Commons, Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching Commons, Other Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons